Antimicrobial Properties of Snail Mucus Against Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Abstract Background: Antibiotic resistance has escalated worldwide without proportionate production of new antibiotics. One of the new ways is to explore natural sources of treating bacterial infections without acquiring bacterial resistance. Snail type Achatina fulica in Japan, the mucus extract has demonstrated immense antibacterial activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacterial pathogens. The type of snail used in this study, Achatina achatina is commonly found in West Africa particularly, Ghana can be explored for its antibacterial activity against the fastidious bacterium,Neisseria gonorrhoeae which is fast becoming resistant in most hospital settings. Place of study: The study lasted for six months and was conducted at the Microbiology laboratory of the School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences Aim: The main aim of this study is to assess the possible antibacterial activity of mucus secretions from Achatina achatinaagainst Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Methods: The test strain Neisseria gonorrhoeae ATCC 49226 was subjected to susceptibility testing using sterile mucus of Achatina achatina to perform both well and disc diffusion techniques. Gram stain, catalase, oxidase and fermentation tests were used to assess the identity of the test strain in this study. Results: The mucus of Achatina achatina showed no inhibition against the tested control strain Neisseria Gonorrhoeae ATCC 49226 while the reference discs, ciprofloxacin 5 µg and penicillin 1 µg were susceptible for both the wells made by cork-borer and prepared filter paper discs, respectively. Conclusion: The zones of inhibition from the mucus of Achatina achatina demonstrated no activity with the test strain Neisseria gonorrhoeae ATCC 49226. The study seems to suggest that the mucus from Achatina achatina snail-type used may have an insignificant antibacterial activity to inhibit the test organism used.